Re: I remeber reading this.
Yep. I could see the first two issues of THE HULK being published in STRANGE TALES or JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY and left at that. Looking at the cover of FANTASTIC FOUR# 1, it sure seems to be another giant monster on the loose story, with the heroes not emphasised. It wasn't until the third issue that they got their costumes and came out (so to speak) as super-heroes).
I imagine one big reason the Hulk has been through so many variations is just through the necessity of trying to telling thousands of stories over forty years. ("Geez, what else can we do with this guy THIS month?")